I had several friends that had attended business school or were currently enrolled when I finally made my business school decision. All of them had made one thing clear – no matter what, you MUST take a break between finishing up your job and starting school. Twist my arm. After leaving my job in DC, three of my best friends and I set out on the road trip of the century, and two and a half weeks, 6,000 miles and 25 states later it was time for me to move on to my new life in Austin. After another 3 days in the car from Maryland to Texas, I arrived in Austin excited to start at McCombs.

The crazy thing is that never in those 28 hours en route to A-Town did I ever feel nervous or stressed (which, if you know me, is a small miracle). In my “twist-my-arm” time between work and school, I also became an active contributor on the Class of 2010 Facebook group, in which questions such as “Are you guys buying a 3 day pass to Austin City Limits?” were of high importance. In the two weeks it took to get settled in before Orientation started, I met new classmates every day at unofficial happy hours, TV watching parties, and trips to Home Depot. The day I walked into McCombs for Orientation, there were so many familiar faces I felt like I had been here forever. Orientation was full of get-to-know-you activities. Between Habitat for Humanity, a float trip, a visit to the Salt Lick Barbecue Restaurant and a spirited Cohort Games (go CoFo!), we started school with a bang, and all made a ton of new friends. Although the impending start of school was exciting and something I had been waiting more than a year for, I have to admit that the end of Orientation made me sad, because our two weeks of pure get-to-know-you fun had ended.

I know Orientation was just the start of an amazing time, and can’t wait to see what the next two years bring!